If you have coconut lovers in your family as I do, you’ll want to keep this recipe for Coconut Macaroons, courtesy of my sister Jane (#5). I can’t tell you how many I ate while making and most of them were before they were baked. Delicious!
Coconut has a taste and a feel to it that makes you either love it or hate it. I know, hate seems a little harsh, but I do know people who have used the word hate when offering their opinion. As for me – it’s all about love. Who doesn’t reach into the frig and grab a bite of coconut from the half-empty bag when you have that afternoon urge for something sweet? That’s me.
Coconut Macaroons
The list of ingredients in this recipe is minimal, and the finished product is anything but. The cookies are moist, chewy and eating just one will never do. Coconut Macaroons are a great addition to a tray of cookies, and they make a lovely presentation all by themselves.
The main ingredients are mixed by hand in a large bowl (I mention a large bowl because you’ll want the extra room for the next step). The coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla are mixed by hand. In the ingredients list, I have listed 18 ounces of coconut. You will begin with the standard 14-ounce bag of coconut and add an additional cup. When measuring the extra cup, you don’t have to pack down the coconut.
The next step is to fold in the egg whites. The large mixing bowl allows you space for this gentle step. Continue folding the egg whites into the coconut mixture until the batter is well blended.
You have a choice in the size of your cookies. For this post, I used a 1 1/2″ cookie scoop, and for some of the cookies, I made an indentation for the chocolate eggs. You can get creative when decorating Coconut Macaroons.
Drizzling a little chocolate over the top will get you very close to the taste of an Almond Joy candy bar (one of my faves). For this drizzle, I melted a half cup of chocolate pieces and added a couple of teaspoons of vegetable oil to thin. I placed the chocolate in a ziplock bag and snipped the end enough to allow a thin drizzle. FUN!
To create a little space for the eggs, I made an indentation in the center before they baked. You can add a little chocolate to hold the eggs or position the eggs while the cookies are warm and they will melt a little and then harden. Another FUN!
Coconut Macaroons are a delectable cookie and a classic choice for any tray hosting a variety of treats. They take no time to make, and your coconut lovers will be singing your praises.
I hope you consider this cookie a keeper and love it as much as I do.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Rose
- 18 ounces sweetened shredded (flake) coconut (1 14 oz pkg plus an additional cup)
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large egg whites at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites and salt on high speed until they form medium to firm peaks. I used a hand mixer for this post, and a stand mixer can be used.
- Carefully fold egg whites into the coconut mixture.
- Using a 1½ inch cookie scoop or 1 heaping teaspoon full, drop batter onto cookie sheets.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes o until golden brown, switching the cookie sheets on the racks halfway through baking time.
- Cool.
- ENJOY!